The present invention relates to an information managing device, for use with a computer, incorporating an external storage device, an image input and output device, and an electronic file.
Prior art information managing devices include those which display the file names of stored electronic files as a top-to-bottom list on a display screen 101 as shown in FIG. 77 so as to allow the user to select desired files from the list displayed on the display screen 101 by moving the cursor.
This list-display method enables a lot of information to be displayed as an at-a-glance list. However, the amount of information displayed only by characters and numbers is rather limited, which renders it difficult for the user to conduct an intuitive search, and makes the search process for the necessary information time-consuming as well as inconvenient.
Accordingly, to solve the above problem, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-200635/1995 (Tokukaihei 7-200635, published on Aug. 4, 1995) disclosed an information managing device as shown in FIG. 78 which displays images (thumbnail images 102) that are smaller in size than the corresponding original ones on the display screen 101 so that the user can conduct a search of the stored file information through the displayed thumbnail images 102.
The information managing device allows the user to conduct an intuitive and quick file search through the display thumbnail images 102 by displaying the thumbnail images 102 on the display screen 101.
Still, the information managing device disclosed in the Patent Application leaves some problems unaddressed: the side-by-side display of the thumbnail images, although enabling an intuitive search, does not allow the user to view a lot of information simultaneously; if a large number of thumbnail images are displayed in the screen simultaneously, the thumbnail images are displayed in such small sizes on the display screen that the user might have some difficulties in visually identifying images such as painted pictures, let alone information represented by characters and logos.
The present invention has an object to offer information managing devices for manipulating electronic files, especially portable information managing devices equipped only with a small display device, that can still realise a convenient file search by taking advantage of deductive reasoning ability for a human to understand the whole from a limited amount of information, as well as by simplifying the operation system.
The present invention has another object to offer information managing devices that can display as many thumbnail images associated with the stored files as possible in sizes that allow the user to see and identify those thumbnail images displayed on the display screen.
The present invention has another object to offer information managing devices that are multifunctional, but yet come in relatively small sizes, as benefits of the multifunctionality of the information input means and the storage means provided to the information managing devices including the information managing capability, and that act also as external input and storage devices offering easy operability.
In order to achieve the above objects, an information managing device in accordance with the present invention is an information managing device for displaying thumbnail files corresponding to an image file to allow a search through the thumbnail files for an image file, and is arranged so that thumbnail display means for displaying the thumbnail files is specified to configure the images of the thumbnail files so as to partially overlap each other in a three-dimensional manner.
With the arrangement, since the thumbnail files are displayed in a three-dimensional configuration, the thumbnail file on the foreground can be specified to have a size large enough to visually identify the thumbnail file, and those thumbnail files behind the thumbnail file on the foreground are partially displayed, thereby allowing the user to obtain some information on the contents of the thumbnail files in the back.
Consequently, with the aforementioned arrangement, since the thumbnail files are displayed in a three-dimensional manner, more thumbnail files can be displayed on the display screen than conventional techniques, having an advantage that searches can be conducted more quickly through a cluster of thumbnail files for the image file corresponding to a desired thumbnail file.
Another information managing device in accordance with the present invention is, as mentioned above, an information managing device for displaying thumbnail files each corresponding to an image file to allow a search through the thumbnail files for an image file, and is arranged so that thumbnail display means for displaying the thumbnail files is specified to display the thumbnail files so as to overlap each other partially, sequentially, and diagonally from a front row to a far back row that is higher in position than the front row in accordance with positions of the thumbnail files in the configuration, so that upper portions of the thumbnail files are visible.
Therefore, with the aforementioned arrangement, the thumbnail files are displayed so as to overlap each other partially, sequentially, and diagonally from a front row to a far back row that is higher in position than the front row in accordance with positions of the thumbnail files in the configuration, so that upper portions of the thumbnail files are visible. As a result, the thumbnail file on the foreground can be specified to have a size large enough to easily visually identify the thumbnail file, and those thumbnail files behind the thumbnail file on the foreground are partially displayed, thereby allowing the user to obtain some information on the contents of the thumbnail files in the back.
Consequently, with the aforementioned arrangement, since the thumbnail files are displayed so as to overlap each other partially, more thumbnail files can be displayed on the display screen than conventional techniques, having an advantage that searches can be conducted more quickly through a cluster of thumbnail files for the image file corresponding to a desired thumbnail file.
Still another information managing device in accordance with the present invention, in order to achieve the aforementioned objects, is an information managing device including:
a rectangular parallelopiped device main body;
storage means for storing image information in the device main body;
display means provided with a display screen for displaying the image information stored in the storage means on the device main body; and
a substantially rectangular parallelopiped scanner provided with a reading section for optically scanning the image information from an original document sheet and also with a transmission section for transmitting the image information to the storage means,
and is arranged so that the scanner is freely attachable to, and removable from, the device main body in a first position and a second position, the first position being such that at least one of outside surfaces of the scanner forms a flush plane with a surface of the device main body, the surface being substantially parallel to the display screen, the second position being such that the reading section of the scanner opposes a surface of the device main body, the surface being substantially parallel to the display screen.
Therefore, with the aforementioned arrangement, the scanner is freely attachable to, and removable from, the device main body in a first position and a second position. As a result, the scanner in the first position is highly integrated into the device main body, allowing easy and convenient installation of the scanner on the desk and enhancing portability of the scanner. The scanner is in the second position forms a transport guide surface for original document sheets from the surface that is substantially parallel to the display screen on the device main body, and can stabilise reading of information on the original document sheet through the reading surface of the scanner, facilitating information input.
Furthermore, with the aforementioned arrangement, the scanner is freely attachable to, and removable from, the device main body. As a result, the scanner becomes capable of freely scanning information drawn on a variety of original documents, further facilitating information input.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.